Rare Birds: Conversations with Thoughtful Go-Getters

Sydney is a 25-year-old Actress based out of  Philadelphia. She has devoted her energy to her craft, training at the prestigious acting school Playhouse West Philadelphia! In May of 2021 Sydney started her business, Tarot w/ Sydney where her mission is to teach and guide others about the practice of spirituality through tarot card readings! Every day, Sydney is grateful for the support of her amazing friends, family, and two cat-daughters Kiwi and Wednesday. About The Host     Peter Fenton’s work has appeared in or is forthcoming from Dadley Productions, Heuer Publishing, BraveMaker Media, and Wheaton College Jukebox Theater among others. Peter is an adventurous multi-genre author and screenwriter who co-founded Ornithology Media in summer 2021 as an imprint to produce creative work that stimulates critical thought and laughter.    www.byPeterFenton.com    www.instagram.com/peterfent/    www.twitter.com/peterfent/    [email protected]      Intro Theme:     Music: Lauren Duski - Rollin    Download: http://raboninco.com/10wTc    Music promoted by Epic Free Sounds    Video Link: https://youtu.be/peWMaIvfckM

This week, Rare Birds conducts its first two-on-one interview! Host Peter Fenton (@peterfent) speaks with Declan and Suzanne DeWitt Hall, a married couple of LGBTQ Christian advocates. Suzanne has authored a number of different books exploring the intersection of faith and sexuality and Declan has built an online community for individuals exploring these same questions. This bright, fun conversation spins a couple different topics, from self-publishing to finding readership to Declan's unique life story as a transgender man who came out in his upper 50s. The Where True Love Is Website: www.wheretrueloveis.com Suzanne's Author Website: www.sdewitthall.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WhereTrueLoveIs/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wheretrueloveismovement/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/WhereTrueLoveIs About The Host   Peter Fenton’s work has appeared in or is forthcoming from Dadley Productions, Heuer Publishing, BraveMaker Media, and Wheaton College Jukebox Theater among others. Peter is an adventurous multi-genre author and screenwriter who co-founded Ornithology Media in summer 2021 as an imprint to produce creative work that stimulates critical thought and laughter.  www.byPeterFenton.com   www.instagram.com/peterfent/   www.twitter.com/peterfent/   [email protected]    Intro Theme:   Music: Lauren Duski - Rollin   Download: http://raboninco.com/10wTc   Music promoted by Epic Free Sounds   Video Link: https://youtu.be/peWMaIvfckM

This week, Rare Birds continues back-to-back episodes of conversations with host Peter Fenton’s classmates from Wheaton College! Today, we are talking with Ciera McElroy (@cierahmcelroy), who is an author and a brand consultant, editor, and ghostwriter through her business, Clover and Bee. She believes every artist can make a career out of their work and is thrilled to help make it happen. Ciera Horton McElroy’s work has appeared in AGNI, Iron Horse Literary Review, and Bridge Eight among others. Ciera is a shamelessly multi-passionate creative: she’s worked as a collegiate writing instructor, a consultant for film campaigns, a journalist on Capitol Hill, and more. She served as the Communications Director on the faith campaign for the Academy Award-nominated A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD (2019) and also PAUL, APOSTLE OF CHRIST (2017). When she’s not writing, Ciera can be found exploring St. Louis with her baby boy. As an up-and-coming novelist and short story writer, Ciera is represented by Folio Literary Management. For more information on her film and consulting work, visit www.cloverandbee.net. Ciera’s Recommendations for Short Story Collections: The Heaven of Animals by David James Poissant Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout Awayland by Ramona Ausubel Get In Trouble by Kelly Link Birds of America by Lorrie Moore The Shell Collector by Anthony Doerr Ciera’s Instagram: www.instagram.com/cierahmcelroy/ Ciera’s Author Website: www.cieramcelroy.com Clover and Bee Consulting: www.cloverandbee.net About The Host  Peter Fenton’s work has appeared in or is forthcoming from Dadley Productions, Heuer Publishing, BraveMaker Media, and Wheaton College Jukebox Theater among others. Peter is an adventurous multi-genre author and screenwriter who co-founded Ornithology Media in summer 2021 as an imprint to produce creative work that stimulates critical thought and laughter. www.byPeterFenton.com  www.instagram.com/peterfent/  www.twitter.com/peterfent/  [email protected]  Intro Theme:  Music: Lauren Duski - Rollin  Download: http://raboninco.com/10wTc  Music promoted by Epic Free Sounds  Video Link: https://youtu.be/peWMaIvfckM

Wheaton College classmates—who didn't really know each other at the time of going to school—Matt Adams (@mbadms) and Peter Fenton (@peterfent) sit down for a chat about Black identity, photography, and brand storytelling in today's episode of the Rare Birds Podcast! Matt Adams is a cultural strategist, writer,  speaker, and photographer who focuses on researching the impact of digital markets, social and faith movements, and technology. In regards to his cultural heritage, he is half Jamaican and African American, making the most out of what it means to be Black in the United States of America. In his time at Wheaton College, he focused on media ecology, social change, and entrepreneurship which led him to a career in entertainment, advertising, and consulting. Matt desires to utilize storytelling to share stories that promote the fullness and beauty of blackness, human culture, and our collective future. Matt's Website: www.mattadms.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mbadms/  Matt's "Defining Me" Photography Project: https://mattadms.com/defining-me-1 The creative process always takes some form of investment—usually a  bunch of time, potentially some money, but always, a whole lot of effort in the beginning, middle, and end. To bring a  project—any project—to life is a creative or otherwise entrepreneurial process, and for many of us who have brought one or more projects to life ("Rare Birds," if you will), bringing creative work into the world is second nature, and there are people out there who want to know how we did it. This is an opportunity to both promote your passion and to break down your creative  process.  The  Rare Birds Podcast seeks to demystify this process of bringing projects to life one conversation at a time with a diverse set of creative and entrepreneurial types. The guests on this podcast are hand-picked by host Peter Fenton as interesting creatives with a sense of humor who create quality, thoughtful content and use their platform to make their circles of influence a better place. These casual,  friendly conversations will ask, "What project are you most proud of?  And how did you bring it to life?" of Authors, Filmmakers, YouTubers,  Theatre  Professionals, and more!     About The Host  Peter Fenton’s work has appeared in or is forthcoming from Dadley   Productions, Heuer Publishing, BraveMaker Media, and Wheaton College   Jukebox Theater among others. Peter is an adventurous multi-genre author and screenwriter who co-founded Ornithology Media in summer 2021 as an imprint to produce creative work that stimulates critical thought and laughter.     www.byPeterFenton.com  www.instagram.com/peterfent/  www.twitter.com/peterfent/  [email protected]     Intro Theme:  Music: Lauren Duski - Rollin  Download: http://raboninco.com/10wTc  Music promoted by Epic Free Sounds  Video Link: https://youtu.be/peWMaIvfckM

There's no motivating rage quite like Mario Party rage, and today we're talking all about Mario Party and the process of content creation on YouTube with ZoomZike (@zoomzike), the creator of the Identifying Luck series of videos on YouTube, which are a comprehensive dissection game-by-game of the Mario Party series. Host Peter Fenton (@peterfent) would like to point out that he and ZoomZike have very similar voices, which may or may not be confusing to the listener, but the conversation is delightful nonetheless. ZoomZike started on YouTube as early as 2011, where he spent his free time recording himself playing games using a webcam. When 2018 came around, he decided it was time for a reboot and started working towards making analytical content diving deep into the games he enjoys. His most popular videos are part of his series titled "Identifying Luck", which is a kind of long-form, comprehensive documentary series where he breaks down the infamously "luck-based" Mario Party series of video games to its core game by game, which reveals information that turns this series known for its chance events into something that can be a little more predicted and controlled.  ZoomZike on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ZoomZike Twitter: https://twitter.com/ZoomZike The creative process always takes some form of investment—usually a  bunch of time, potentially some money, but always, a whole lot of effort in the beginning, middle, and end. To bring a  project—any project—to life is a creative or otherwise entrepreneurial process, and for many of us who have brought one or more projects to life ("Rare Birds," if you will), bringing creative work into the world is second nature, and there are people out there who want to know how we did it. This is an opportunity to both promote your passion and to break down your creative process.  The  Rare Birds Podcast seeks to demystify this process of bringing projects to life one conversation at a time with a diverse set of creative and entrepreneurial types. The guests on this podcast are hand-picked by host Peter Fenton as interesting creatives with a sense of humor who create quality, thoughtful content and use their platform to make their circles of influence a better place. These casual,  friendly conversations will ask, "What project are you most proud of?  And how did you bring it to life?" of Authors, Filmmakers, YouTubers,  Theatre  Professionals, and more!     About The Host  Peter Fenton’s work has appeared in or is forthcoming from Dadley   Productions, Heuer Publishing, BraveMaker Media, and Wheaton College   Jukebox Theater among others. Peter is an adventurous multi-genre author  and screenwriter who co-founded Ornithology Media in summer 2021 as an  imprint to produce creative work that stimulates critical thought and  laughter.     www.byPeterFenton.com  www.instagram.com/peterfent/  www.twitter.com/peterfent/  [email protected]     Intro Theme:  Music: Lauren Duski - Rollin  Download: http://raboninco.com/10wTc  Music promoted by Epic Free Sounds  Video Link: https://youtu.be/peWMaIvfckM Various Mario Party 3 soundtrack songs are used in this episode.

J.E. Kraft—truly—is a rare bird. She's a mom of two teenage boys and wife to an awesome husband, author of two novels that are basically polar opposites in topic and tone, and has built a massive following on TikTok (@gianusystem) where they discuss living with Dissociative Identity Disorder (which is often erroneously called "multiple personality disorder"). J.E. Kraft wrote her first book, Kittens, when she was seven, and despite struggling with bullying, ADHD, and dyslexia, she hasn’t stopped writing since. She grew up into an awkward super geek; lover of animals, bugs, psychology, and science. They can be found in Tennessee with her husband, two kids, a cat, dog, lizard, frog, shrimp, and a variety of houseplants. When she’s not busy writing, she advocates online for mental health awareness and crushes the hopes and dreams of their loved ones in board games. J.E. Kraft's Website: www.jekraft.com TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@gianusystem Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jekraftbooks/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/JE_Kraft The creative process always takes some form of investment—usually a bunch of time, potentially some money, but always, a whole lot of effort in the beginning, middle, and end. To bring a  project—any project—to life is a creative or otherwise entrepreneurial process, and for many of us who have brought one or more projects to life ("Rare Birds," if you will), bringing creative work into the world is second nature, and there are people out there who want to know how we did it. This is an opportunity to both promote your passion and to break down your creative process. The  Rare Birds Podcast seeks to demystify this process of bringing projects to life one conversation at a time with a diverse set of creative and entrepreneurial types. The guests on this podcast are hand-picked by host Peter Fenton as interesting creatives with a sense of humor who create quality, thoughtful content and use their platform to make their circles of influence a better place. These casual, friendly conversations will ask, "What project are you most proud of? And how did you bring it to life?" of Authors, Filmmakers, YouTubers, Theatre  Professionals, and more! About The Host Peter  Fenton’s work has appeared in or is forthcoming from Dadley  Productions, Heuer Publishing, BraveMaker Media, and Wheaton College  Jukebox Theater among others. Peter is an adventurous multi-genre author and screenwriter who co-founded Ornithology Media in summer 2021 as an imprint to produce creative work that stimulates critical thought and laughter. www.byPeterFenton.com www.instagram.com/peterfent/ www.twitter.com/peterfent/ [email protected] Intro Theme: Music: Lauren Duski - Rollin Download: http://raboninco.com/10wTc Music promoted by Epic Free Sounds Video Link: https://youtu.be/peWMaIvfckM

Filmmaker, actor, husband, father, and pastor Tony Gapastione (@tonygapastione) joins host Peter Fenton (@peterfent) for a very human chat about what it's like to juggle all the roles in a creative's life. Tony has just finished directing his debut feature film, LAST CHANCE CHARLENE, under his production company, BraveMaker Media. Tony Gapastione has worked on stage and in front of the camera acting, in print and film for over twenty-five years. He’s originally from Chicago where he grew his love for acting through theatre and now lives in Northern California where he became a SAG-AFTRA actor and filmmaker. Tony loves creative collaboration on the other side of the camera writing, producing and directing. Tony loves telling stories, that’s why he also started his non-profit film organization BRAVEMAKER. He wants to support, celebrate and equip filmmakers, actors, and brave storytellers of all kinds. Tony hosts monthly film screenings, panel discussions and an annual film fest in Redwood City, California as well as hosting a live Youtube show every Wednesday. Tony's Blog on Fundraising: http://www.tonygapastione.com/blog BraveMaker Media Official Website: https://bravemaker.com/ More About Last Chance Charlene: https://bravemaker.com/last-chance-charlene/ Follow BraveMaker on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/bravemakerorg BraveMaker's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bravemakerorg/ The creative process always takes some form of investment—usually a bunch of time, potentially some money, but always, a whole lot of effort in the beginning, middle, and end. To bring a project—any project—to life is a creative or otherwise entrepreneurial process, and for many of us who have brought one or more projects to life ("Rare Birds," if you will), bringing creative work into the world is second nature, and there are people out there who want to know how we did it. This is an opportunity to both promote your passion and to break down your creative process. The Rare Birds Podcast seeks to demystify this process of bringing projects to life one conversation at a time with a diverse set of creative and entrepreneurial types. The guests on this podcast are hand-picked by host Peter Fenton as interesting creatives with a sense of humor who create quality, thoughtful content and use their platform to make their circles of influence a better place. These casual, friendly conversations will ask, "What project are you most proud of? And how did you bring it to life?" of Authors, Filmmakers, YouTubers, Theatre Professionals, and more! About The Host Peter Fenton’s work has appeared in or is forthcoming from Dadley Productions, Heuer Publishing, BraveMaker Media, and Wheaton College Jukebox Theater among others. Peter is an adventurous multi-genre author and screenwriter who co-founded Ornithology Media in summer 2021 as an imprint to produce creative work that stimulates critical thought and laughter. www.byPeterFenton.com www.instagram.com/peterfent/ www.twitter.com/peterfent/ [email protected] Intro Theme:  Music: Lauren Duski - Rollin  Download: http://raboninco.com/10wTc Music promoted by Epic Free Sounds  Video Link: https://youtu.be/peWMaIvfckM

Jen Lowry, author of thirty(!) books, joins host Peter Fenton for the very first episode of the Rare Birds podcast to talk all about her new book, THE SUNDAY KILLER, and how exactly she plays genre roulette with having written so many different titles for so many different audiences! Dr. Jennifer Lowry is from Maxton, North Carolina and loves the small-town life. She is a  fan of all things horror, UFC, and binge-watches episodes of The  Mentalist. When she isn’t literacy coaching at a metropolitan high school, author coaching, or homeschooling her son, she can be found sharing out the author journey online or hiding behind the pages of a  new book. She’s a traditional and self-published author/poet with twenty-nine books in multiple genres. She’s the owner of Monarch  Educational Services, L.L.C., publishing MG and YA books that matter.  The Sunday Killer is her first thriller, police procedural novel,  releasing August 31, 2021! Grab a peppermint coffee, a Reese’s cup, and check her out @jenlowrywrites. Order Your Copy of Jen's Book, THE SUNDAY KILLER: https://amzn.to/3mKRjvv Jen's Website: www.jenlowrywrites.com Jen's Podcast: https://anchor.fm/jen-lowry-writes Jen's Instagram: www.instagram.com/jenlowrywrites Jen's Twitter: www.twitter.com/jenlowrywrites The creative process always takes some form of investment—usually a bunch of time, potentially some money, but always, a whole lot of effort in the beginning, middle, and end. To bring a project—any project—to life is a creative or otherwise entrepreneurial process, and for many of us who have brought one or more projects to life ("Rare Birds," if you will), bringing creative work into the world is second nature, and there are people out there who want to know how we did it. This is an opportunity to both promote your passion and to break down your creative process. The Rare Birds Podcast seeks to demystify this process of bringing projects to life one conversation at a time with a diverse set of creative and entrepreneurial types. The guests on this podcast are hand-picked by host Peter Fenton as interesting creatives with a sense of humor who create quality, thoughtful content and use their platform to make their circles of influence a better place. These casual, friendly conversations will ask, "What project are you most proud of? And how did you bring it to life?" of Authors, Filmmakers, YouTubers, Theatre Professionals, and more! About The Host Peter Fenton’s work has appeared in or is forthcoming from Dadley Productions, Heuer Publishing, BraveMaker Media, and Wheaton College Jukebox Theater among others. Peter is an adventurous multi-genre author and screenwriter who co-founded Ornithology Media in summer 2021 as an imprint to produce creative work that stimulates critical thought and laughter. Intro Music:  Music: Lauren Duski - Rollin  Download: http://raboninco.com/10wTc Music promoted by Epic Free Sounds  Video Link: https://youtu.be/peWMaIvfckM

Here's a very quick introduction from host Peter Fenton to talk about what is the Rare Birds Podcast all about. The creative process always takes some form of investment—usually a bunch of time, potentially some money, but always, a whole lot of effort in the beginning, middle, and end. To bring a project—any project—to life is a creative or otherwise entrepreneurial process, and for many of us who have brought one or more projects to life ("Rare Birds," if you will), bringing creative work into the world is second nature, and there are people out there who want to know how we did it. This is an opportunity to both promote your passion and to break down your creative process. The Rare Birds Podcast seeks to demystify this process of bringing projects to life one conversation at a time with a diverse set of creative and entrepreneurial types. The guests on this podcast are hand-picked by host Peter Fenton as interesting creatives with a sense of humor who create quality, thoughtful content and use their platform to make their circles of influence a better place. These casual, friendly conversations will ask, "What project are you most proud of? And how did you bring it to life?" of Authors, Filmmakers, YouTubers, Theatre Professionals, and more! About The Host Peter Fenton’s work has appeared in or is forthcoming from Dadley Productions, Heuer Publishing, BraveMaker Media, and Wheaton College Jukebox Theater among others. Peter is an adventurous multi-genre author and screenwriter who co-founded Ornithology Media in summer 2021 as an imprint to produce creative work that stimulates critical thought and laughter. Introduction:  Music: Lauren Duski - Rollin  Download: http://raboninco.com/10wTc Music promoted by Epic Free Sounds  Video Link: https://youtu.be/peWMaIvfckM